Pushups 101

I believe that everyone should be doing pushups, at least for warmups especially if they have some nagging shoulder issues. The main difference between pushups and bench press is how the pushups effectively target the serratus anterior. The serratus anterior helps stabilize the shoulder blades and is an integral component in relation to shoulder mobility and overall shoulder health because it can lead to muscle imbalances and cause rotator cuff and neck issues if not trained.

Pushups, in general, are great for evaluating how your upper body moves in relation to your lower body as well as your core. I think pushups are integral if you plan on doing things like the overhead press or Olympic lifting where you need a lot of total body tension, or just being coordinated overall. During the bench press, your back is pinned against the bench with your shoulder blades (scapula) retracted, restricting it's movement. Although this is safer for the shoulders and more efficient when performing the bench press, you are not effectively targeting and also limiting the development of your serratus anterior which is very important for proper shoulder function because it helps with opening up the whole upper back side of the body as well as proper breathing (diaphragmatic breathing).

When doing pushups, the shoulder blades move freely because it is a closed chain kinetic movement, meaning your hands and feet are on the ground making contact, thus you are able to target your serratus anterior a little more. Pushups are pretty magical for your shoulder mobility, much like how planks help to open up the hip flexors and you should be doing them when you start your routine. As you warmup, perform a few sets of 20reps that you can do with proper form, making sure that you are rotating your shoulders and screwing your arms into the ground instead of flaring your elbows out, go through full ROM. Think of being in an arrow-position (arms 45º to the body) instead of a T-position (arms too far out) as this will still recruit your pecs and triceps. Also, brace your core, squeeze your quads and glutes. If you are fortunate enough to be in a gym that allows you to do loaded pushups with equipment such as a vest, I would recommend them because it is a great tool to use for hypertrophy as well.

With time, you should notice that your shoulders feel a little bit better. If it feels achy, sore, tight when you are only doing pushups, it is a sign that you probably got some issues that need to be addressed. On the other hand, if you continue doing pushups and you notice that your shoulders feel a little bit looser, more free, feeling tighter when you are benching, improved shoulder stability then you know that it is working. For everyone else just looking for mobility, lifting more, benching bigger, keeping your body in check, including pushups into your routine is a good idea. They take no time whatsoever and it builds up a neglected area, the serratus anterior.

#Mobility #Training #Pushup #Bench #Press